"They told me to take him somewhere else:" caregivers' experiences seeking emergency dental care for their children

Objectives: This mixed-methods study examined a) pediatric emergency dental care trends in two safety net clinics and b) emergency dental care-related experiences of young children's caregivers. Methods: Administrative data were used to describe and compare characteristics of emergency first-visits of children ages 0-6 in a community-based (CC) and a University-based (UC) safety net clinic from 2010-2014. In-person interviews were conducted with 10 caregivers of children ages 0-6 presenting for non-trauma-related emergency visits at the UC from January-August 2016. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded and analyzed inductively using Atlas.ti.7.5.9. Results: Significantly more emergency first-visits were attended at the UC (33%) versus the CC (5%), and the majority of these UC visits were referrals. Caregivers were dissatisfied with the experienced barriers of access to care and lack of child-centeredness, specifically the referral out of the dental home. Conclusions: A considerable proportion of children's first-visits at dental safety net clinics is emergency care-related. Children's caregivers voiced issues related to access to care and lack of child-centered dental care. Policy Implications: New models are warranted to optimize child-centered dental care, especially for emergency care.

Creator

Meyer, BeauAffiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management
Gillings School of Global Public Health

Degree granting institution

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Thesis advisor

Lee, Jessica

Divaris, Kimon

Lampiris, Lewis

Title

"They told me to take him somewhere else:" caregivers' experiences seeking emergency dental care for their children